On a special episode (first released on February 19, 2025) of The Excerpt podcast: 50 years ago, a Canadian comedian named Lorne Michaels kicked off the first season of what would rapidly become a cultural institution. That show is SNL, aka Saturday Night Live, a mainstay of late-night entertainment. It’s also the longest-running, most Emmy-nominated, and highest-rated weekly late-night show in television history. How has Michaels done it? Ten years ago, Susan Morrison, articles editor at The New Yorker, rolled up her sleeves to find out. Susan is the author of the newly released title “Lorne: The Man Who Invented Saturday Night Live,” the definitive biography of SNL executive producer Lorne Michaels, and joins The Excerpt to share her insights.

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